Long After Dawn
by makiyazawa
Summary: Maki never thought everything would work out this way, never imagined everything to go to the drain. One thing leads to another, and before she knew it, she’s on a quest to find people who can help her solve the mystery of whoever ruined her life. Zombie apocalypse AU set fifteen years after the idol scene.
1. chapter 1

**Basically, I made a story like this before. I deleted it shortly after, (I was a fool), and after fiddling with the thought of the same zombie apocalypse AU I've long made before, I kind of LIKED it, strangely? Anyways here's a multichapter no one asked for bbs.**

Being born in a rich family was something Maki would never want to choose, ever. Those nights she spent alone, writhing in her bed as she imagines her parents out, smiles on their faces, happily making life-changing decisions with a flick of their finger, they weren't the parents Maki wanted. Being rich doesn't exactly help Maki either, it harms her, rather.

The name 'Nishikino', is an infamous name nowadays, her father being the one thought to be the mastermind behind all this, he wasn't. Wrongfully accused of something he didn't do, he and his family suffered the consequences. Wife killed, turned into one of them, with his only child escaping in the nick of time, barely unscathed. Occasionally, Maki would visit her parents' hospital as a nobody - most people avoided hospitals because they thought they're riddled with 'them.'

They really aren't.

They're treasure coves of medical supplies, but by the time Maki's return, she assumes all of them have been raided. Four years after the apocalypse doesn't exactly help.

Maki's twenty-five, and she lives her life not really living it.

Blood sputters out of the thing's mouth, spraying on Maki's face that she tried oh so hard to cover up with a mask, she punches it again, this time an uppercut. The thing knocks back, and it gives Maki enough time to think of the next game plan. The things are a few feet away from Maki, one of them have their foot gyrating against the floor, indicating another attack. It runs towards Maki. Split-second moment, but Maki manages to see it coming. She quickly jumps away as the thing runs right through her, and with the perfect distance, she pushes it away, hearing a small groan come as it slowly falls down the building.

As she watches the thing fall to its death, she looks back. There's still four of them there.

'Make a run for it. Jump.' Was Maki's initial verdict, but the thought of having broken legs doesn't sit well with Maki. It never does. 'Just slice through them all.' Again, another stupid thought, but it's better than breaking your legs, hm?

She clenches her fists, pulling out a knife from her back pocket, (conveniently, she placed it there before.) and pushes down on her foot with bitter strength. Stench of blood permeating the air, it was the only thing Maki focused on at the moment, as she needed something to distract her. Anything.

Two of them run at her at once, thing 1 advancing its mouth rather than its body to Maki, with the closing of its jaw sounding like a broken nutcracker, Maki elbows its throat out the way, causing it to fall back, but not before thing 2 catches her from behind. Maki didn't notice it earlier, strangely silent for a thing. It places its rotting fingers firmly on the nape of Maki's neck, and Maki garners enough courage to snap her head back, the thought of it biting her head far, far at the back of her mind.

She shrugs her shoulders and runs for thing 1, plunging her knife deep in its head, and as she pulls out, a light spurt of blood trickles down her glove, a loud thud sound as it falls down. Thing 3 and 4 are still at the back, waiting for the moment to strike, and as Maki knees thing 1's stomach, 3 and 4 are huddling in, pushing Maki to the very edge of the building.

Shit.

Maki hadn't gained much momentum, and as all four fall down, Maki pulls thing 3 and 4 below her to cushion her, thing 1 biting Maki's glove, but not enough to puncture it.

They all fall, and unsurprisingly, she's the only one to survive. The building isn't particularly tall, it's just the exact amount of height that would hurt you if you didn't know parkour, nevertheless if you were a decomposing body.

Thing 1 is twitching on the floor, missing a leg. Maki groans, her back hurting as she sits up, looking behind only to see two dead bodies sprawled in a pool of blood, and as Maki massages her neck, she feels something wet. She retracts her hand and stares at it, only to see it being painted with red, red, blood.

She shakes her hand, and red blood splatters everywhere. She takes a moment to breathe, and she lets her eyes aimlessly scan the streets, only to be greeted by several 'things.'

She makes a run for it, again. They don't chase after her - sound is what triggers them, and years of suffering through the apocalypse taught her that. Her shoes make no sound, only light crunches on the ground plagued with autumn leaves. She climbs a nearby brick wall.

* * *

The day comes to a slow, torturous end, watch hitting six p.m faster than it usually does. It irks Maki, but it's not like she can change the way time moves. She walks on a roof, hands restlessly sitting inside her pockets, feet dragging its way across the tiled properties. She looks up at the sky, and it's not exactly the most ideal setting.

She jumps to another building, her hands now outside of her pockets and instead supporting her body, landing perfectly with a roll, and before she manages to stand up, she hears a distant,

"Watch out!"

Thud.

Someone wrestles onto her. A heavy body is on top of her. Maki hits her head on one of the cement pavements. It happens too fast. She can't use her logic to think of a solution, it's too quick. She hears faint shouting, an unfamiliar voice muttering profanities. It's too late when she realizes she's being carried. Her eyes shut close.

She faints, not because she hit her head, but due to tiredness and fatigue.

* * *

"..don't know her."

"...if she's sick..!"

Voices speak. It's faint. Maki doesn't bother to listen, she probably doesn't know these people anyways. She'll just bail after she returns the favor. (Which is why she hates being helped.) The two voices continue to argue in desperation, a third one joins in, the door opens slightly, before being closed abruptly. Maki can't particularly hear what they're talking about, but she can vaguely hear the words, 'Red hair', and the classic, 'Nishikino.'

The door barges open, and the three voices sputter in shock. There's total silence in this room for a second. "Boss." One of them says, "Uh, we're sorry about her, it just kinda happene-"

"Keep her." A cold voice says. "I know her."

Her voice is thin, crispy, and the utmost sound of sternness. Maki recognizes this voice immediately. Maki twitches open one eye. She scans the figure, from bottom to top, and she can see faded orange boots, ripped jeans, leather jacket, blue eyes - and, golden, blonde hair.

She remembers this woman, from a long time ago, but not enough memories to remember her full name.

Except her first.

"Eli..?"


	2. Eli

**a/n ok sup bbs.**

 **Doki Doki Literature Club is a legend. I suggest you all download it, it's a wonderful fluffy game! ;DD**

 **Anyways, straying off from the topic - I'm not entirely sure if this will be a slow burn or not - but I'm estimating this to be about 9-12 chapters, because I still have some ideas I'd like to implement. Please bear with me until then.**

 **Also - quite a long chapter.**

 **Review, follow, and favorite if you liked this chapter and want more. It really gets my inspiration up and running!**

* * *

The blonde leads Maki around the rotting building, dank and musty smell invading her nose, it's a smell she's recognized over the years of camping inside abandoned buildings.

After Maki had woken up, she was immediately given a glass of water and a 'pill', of some sort, and was quickly told to follow the blonde. They'd went several floors down. The building is seemingly tall, with what Maki estimates to be at least eight floors max, (just from the information she's gathered from her frequent peeking outside the windows.) and she figures she can't EASILY escape. Eli has many people, about twenty-five, and the barricades she's seen outside are tough and hard to breach.

Eli stops in her tracks, hand pointing to a door to the right, "And this, is my room." She pushes the door open. It creaks loudly. "Let's talk here."

Maki follows Eli inside, and this time, the smell is different. She smells perfume, tough, slightly foul-odored rose perfume. It's slightly too strong for her liking, but she chooses not to mention it. "Sit down."

Maki pulls up a foldable chair, and Eli nears the door. Click.

"Did you just -" Maki's face whites, "Lock the door?"

Eli's eyes stare her down, completely ignoring Maki's previous question. "Who sent you here?"

Maki inches closer to the wall, "What on earth are you talking about? Is this what you say after fifteen years of not seeing me?"

Eli walks cautiously towards her, a small handgun facing Maki. "Speak. Or I'll shoot." Maki groans, and stands up, slapping the gun away from Eli's hands. "I know you won't shoot me, Eli."

Eli sighs. "Sharp as ever."

Maki genuinely felt fear, in that moment. She wasn't even confident that Eli wouldn't kill her - because honestly, it was just a wild guess. No one can ever tell what time could have in store. And lucky for her, her guess was right. "What gives?"

The blonde ruffles her golden hair, "We've got enemy groups trailing us. They suspected that we held some of their members in our basement - idiots," Eli rolls her eyes, "We don't have enough professional equipment for that."

Maki takes a seat again, "So you thought I was a spy?" Eli awkwardly chuckles, "Well - yes."

"You know me better than that." Maki says, sighing.

"Haven't seen each other in what, more than a decade? Can't just trust you so easily."

The redhead grumbles. "I guess." Eli picks up her gun from the flood and dusts it off with her slender fingers, "Can I ask you a question?"

"What..?"

"How are you feeling?" Eli asks. Maki can see the blonde gulp, anticipating her answer. "I'm.." Maki hesitates to reply. "Fine."

Eli's eyes visibly soften, a relaxed smile falling on her face. "That's good."

Maki doesn't know what that means, but she'll just assume the best. She has a nagging feeling of discomfort at the back of her mind. She decides to shake it off.

"So, do you wanna start with some missions?" Eli gives a warm smile, "Missions..?" Maki wonders. She didn't exactly sign up for this - she planned to bail the moment she had the chance, and going on a mission..?

The blonde affirms. "Yes. Missions. Think of it as a way.. to try and repay us." Maki flinches. "Repay you?" She scoffs, frustration seething through her teeth. "You guys were the one who knocked me out and practically kidnapped me."

Eli senses the quiver in Maki's voice, the irritation, and she's quick to react. She chuckles. "You're right. Sorry about that." She scratches her neck. "Apologies."

"Just think of it as an opportunity to find a home." Maki rolls her eyes. She's unusually irritated today, "Home? What do you even mean by tha-"

"You know what I mean, Maki." Eli grabs hold of Maki's hand. "I know how hard it is to survive out there, without someone to go home to," Eli continues, "Without a home."

Maki pulls her hand away, and Eli's face stills. "I don't care."

Blue eyes soften, again. Her expression looks like a scared puppy, her eyebrows furrow. "Why?" Curiosity leaks from her tone. Worry - probably, if Maki didn't look carefully.

Maki sighs. "It's really none of your business, is it?" She twirls her hair. "Besides," She stands up, "Don't you have like - thirty workers?" Twenty, actually, but it doesn't hurt to act innocent once in a while.

"Members, Maki." Eli corrects. "Not workers - " she stares sternly at Maki, "Members."

Eli snakes her way to Maki's hand, tightly gripping it with force. "Maki, I'm eager for you to learn. I'm eager for you to find a family - friends, a community." Her blue irises flicker for a moment. Maki sighs. "I just don't -" She slowly moves her hand away from Eli's grip. It loosens. "I just don't want to deal with all this - after what happened before I went running out alone."

Eli smiles in understanding. "So - you need time?" Maki lowers her head. "Yes."

She looks away. "Lots of time."

* * *

"So, your room will be here. You're allowed to leave the building - but you need permission from - well..." Her eyes roll away in embarrassment, "Me!"

Maki scoffs, "Why? Can't I just leave on my own?" Eli places a firm hand on her shoulder. "We can't have you dying on us." Her tone is serious, it's practically a whisper - slightly threatening, and Maki only sighs. For what seems like the hundredth time that day. "Right."

"Well - I'll leave you to your own devices. See you later." Eli says, pushing Maki in the room and abruptly closing it shut. Maki hesitates sitting on the bed - it's riddled with dust. Probably hadn't been used in years, and as Maki takes a seat,she feels the dust brush against her rear, thus standing up and wiping everything with a spare cloth she had in her pocket from the night before.

After finishing it, she takes a seat - and this time - considerably more comfortable. Maki then removes her shoes and helps herself get comfortable with the idea of lying in a bed that's probably always there, never used. She lets her head rest on the almost tattered pillow and closes her eyes. She falls asleep after a long day.

She doesn't notice the pair of pink scrunchies laid across her wooden bedside table.


End file.
